The story of AAR Cuda BS23J0B291044 "Buyer Beware"

[4406v]

This is about a particular AAR Cuda and what I know about it. This car was purchased by my aunt in or around 1975 near Youngstown, Ohio at the time of purchase the car was painted green with hand painted strobe stripes. The original engine had been replaced with a regular 1969 340 with a single 4 barrel. There were some kind of aftermarket side pipes installed on the car. The AAR hood ,tail spoiler, trunk mounted antenna were all still on the car. The fender tag was on the car with the following codes:

N44 N94 R11 V6H Y05
G36 J45 J82 L31 M21 M88
FM3 A01 A53 B51 C16 C55
FM3 H6X9 000 401 M03045
E55 D21 BS23 JOB 291044

So this was a Panther Pink AAR Cuda 340 six pack 4 speed built on April 1st of 1970. Already in 1975 it had been modified from stock.

My aunt already had a 1970 340 4 speed Cuda and bought the AAR knowing it was "special" She drove the car for awhile and one late night was following a pick up with a cap on the back. Apparently the guy was drunk and ran up on a median losing the cap off the back. My aunt was unable to avoid hitting it and took the impact on the drivers front corner, the cap spun around and hit the quarter panel behind the drivers side quarter window and also smashed the sheet metal in on the quarter panel. Disgusted she limped the car home ,parked it in the yard and there it sat for years. My aunt never fixed the AAR and tragically she was killed in a car accident with my dad in April of 1978. The AAR sat rotting in the yard until 1985 when my uncle traded the AAR for a 1974 Barracuda. By the time he finally let the car go it was too far rusted to be fixable (at least by 1985 standards) The car was eventually scrapped and I know for a fact the numbers were cut off the cowl and radiator support. I located the present owner of the tags, title, and numbers off the car and was quoted a price. I felt it was not only illegal to try and reproduce the car it is immoral since the original car is long gone. I had an idea that rebuilding my aunts car would be a tribute to her but in the end I let it go.

I hope know one buys the rebodied car thinking it's legitimate.

[dfrazz]

So was the AAR wrecked?  What are you trying to make us aware of?   

[burdar]

So was the AAR wrecked?  What are you trying to make us aware of?

The car was eventually scrapped and I know for a fact the numbers were cut off the cowl and radiator support. I located the present owner of the tags, title, and numbers off the car and was quoted a price.

That someone has the tags and body stampings and is trying to sell them. 

[dfrazz]

That someone has the tags and body stampings and is trying to sell them. 

Got it, he edited the post and added more detail.  Thanks!

[4406v]

Wrecked, rusted to the ground, dismantled for parts, and now the vin tags etc are for sale to REBODY a car. I am putting the information with the facts I know about this car out there. What people choose to do with it is up to them.

Back when this car was in my family it was not worth a whole lot. These days the cars are worth a small fortune.  I don't want to see ANYBODY get ripped off paying big money for a car that's not REAL.

[burdar]

Go to Hamtramck-historical.com and contact Barry Washington.  He has a registry of VIN's and will keep your info on file.  If a car ever surfaces with those #'s, there will be proof it is a fake.

[go-fish]

Good work, 4406V! Thank you for bringing this to light. My view on the matter is why do we need numbers? I know some of you like the originality thing but I am very liberal with the "it's your car, do what you want to it" mentality. Today's automotive technologies are so much better than in 1970 (ie. 4 wheel discs/ speed rated tires, exhausts, safety, speed ...). In fact, I believe everyone should be required by law to upgrade 4 wheel drum brakes to (at least) front discs and ditch bias ply tires for street use! Yes, I just said that.
While I think if you own the title you should be able to do ANYTHING you want to do to a car but I do draw the line about the immoral act of misrepresenting a vehicles history and identity. Modify the looks, build a tribute/clone, whatever! Put wings on it and call it an airplane but don't change the VIN.

[anlauto]

If the car gets rebodied, it really only depends on how it's represented whenever it may come up for sale.

This action of reboding a rusted or wrecked vehicle is nothing new, it's been done in our hobby for years to hundreds of cars

[Transamcuda.com]

Thanx for the heads up on this car. I made note of it on the registry. It falls into a small group of 3 FM3 AAR's.

[bolo185]

Go to Hamtramck-historical.com and contact Barry Washington.  He has a registry of VIN's and will keep your info on file.  If a car ever surfaces with those #'s, there will be proof it is a fake.

I agree, Barry keeps good records. He was the one who raised red flags on a very nice restored black 70 Cuda I was looking at. I was leaning towards buying it but turns out the vin, fender tag, cowl plate and radiator support were previously listed on ebay. Barry even sent me a copy of the ebay listing stating the car was scrapped and all that was left were the ID items he was selling. I tracked down the seller of the items who confirmed he listed just the ID items because the car was crushed. I later tracked down the builder of the Cuda in WA who got angry when questioned about where the ID numbers came from. The CA Highway Patrol said the car was registered in CA but they were looking into the registration issues because the car had apparently slipped through inspection before it was suspected of being re-vinned. They said they normally would seize a re-vinned car and tear it apart to inspect it but due to being a high dollar classic they were not going to seize it during their investigation, but advised me to steer clear of it.

I just saw an ebay ad that looks like the same car where it recently sold in OR for over $50k. Still had CA plates so not sure what state it will go to or registration issues the new owner might face. Obviously the skeletons in the closet on that car will follow the car on Barry's web-site. It was a gorgeous car, a very well done build, but I didnt want the thought of the Highway Patrol showing up one day to take the car away......           

[4406v]

This is the exact scenario I am trying to avoid. If you take these numbers etc. and graft them on to a 318 body you've just taken a very cheap body and made it worth a lot more. The car would still be very expensive to recreate but in the end it's still not "real" and I don't want anybody getting ripped off. If you're looking for an AAR and going to spend that kind of money don't you want to know the car is legit???

[1carhunter]

"Wrecked, rusted to the ground, dismantled for parts, and now the vin tags etc are for sale to REBODY a car. I am putting the information with the facts I know about this car out there. What people choose to do with it is up to them."

Someone is trying to sell the VIN and tag for this car?  Where is it for sale at? 

Are you positive the vehicle was "scrapped" or crushed?

[4406v]

I talked to the "owner" of the tags, title, and vin plate personally. When I last saw the car in 1985 it had rusted beyond repair for 1985 standards. When I inquired about the cars location the guy informed me he had cut it up and kept the numbers. I could buy the vin tag, title, k-frame, cowl and rad support vin numbers he cut out before scrapping the hulk. The price tag for these items was $1,000.

Here's the deal  I stand NOTHING to gain putting the information out there. I have been into Mopars of all kinds since the day I was born. These cars are more to me than pieces of steel worth a dollar. If you don't care and it's all about the money then you will never understand.

As I have already made clear "What you do with the information is up to YOU"    If for some reason you don't believe what I'm stating as fact that's O.K.

[JimSC]

I for one thank you for sharing this information. The VIN swapping (on ANY car) has to be stopped if at all possible, but like is impossible. Yet THIS thread may someday help someone.

[1carhunter]

My apologies. 

The cynic in me is always skeptical, having seen people post things like this in the past over a deal gone wrong.  I like clear facts before I render a verdict that would trash someone's car value.  I guess the thing that got me wondering was the tugging at the heart strings story, no photos and as I read it,.......   "(I located) the present owner of the tags, title, and numbers off the car and was quoted a price." .....   I thought you had tried to but the stuff off him.  My mistake.

All is good now that I know Barry is on it and most assuredly will ferret out all the facts before black flagging the car.